


The Stars You're Leaving

by kizaten



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Half-Galra Keith (Voltron), Hero Sheith, Human Experimentation, M/M, Super Soldier Hero Shiro, War, Winter Soilder-esque, major character death but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 02:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30065235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kizaten/pseuds/kizaten
Summary: Super soldier Captain Atlas wins the war against the Galra but loses his closest friend. Keith is gone. Or so he thought.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	The Stars You're Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Lionhearted: A Hero Sheith Zine

People had only dreamed of the day humankind would have contact with outer space living forms. Dreams are far away, unattainable and only placed in common ground around the globe through the precious world building of fiction. That’s probably one of the reasons why once the first sign of someone out there reached the world’s radar, everyone grew curious about the same thing. What started to feel like a dream come true turned quickly into a terrible nightmare. 

The world that had been fighting for years to find the balance among humankind suddenly found itself pressed by that powerlessness only shared by oppressed communities. This first contact led to a cruel invasion by a powerful alien race: the Galra. 

By the time resistance started, the Galra had already taken control of the entire planet, and the chances of freeing the Earth from them seemed way to thin. But they wouldn’t know without trying. Once this all started, the promise of doing whatever it takes to the end this war has been a constant and the solid base for the whole movement. It’s been growing, and that’s great, more planets have joined and accepted to take part in the fight to take the Galra’s hands away from the control they’ve been forcefully taking. 

Shiro never thought there would be a bigger surprise than the existence of life outside the planet, he had to widen his vision and agreed to do what he could to help. He wasn’t in the best of conditions; just lost an arm during one of the fierce battles they faced through the invasion, he felt useless and hated that sensation. When he got the chance to still participate against the Galra, he was quick to volunteer to finish the war.

“It’s dangerous, the ones trying never come back” Keith told him after Shiro voiced his interest in it. 

“That’s something that could happen at any moment.” Shiro understood the chances they had, they’d been fighting with all they could, but nothing changed the situation. They’re losing, it’s worth a try. 

Keith looked at him the same way he always did whenever Shiro put himself down. Worry, fear… But then he regained his daily attitude, knowing Shiro could make his own decisions but taking a supportive stance for him anyway. 

“I’ll help you with recovery then.” 

Shiro went on his own a few days later, and after a long embrace to calm down, he left his friend waiting outside. They were scared, but kept their best hopes as Shiro crossed the doors. Once inside, Shiro heard how they’re trying to reduce the distance between their capabilities and those the Galra had, and even when there were risks, Shiro accepted to be another subject for it. 

It was quick, or so they said before getting started, but with how painful it actually turned to be, Shiro felt it was an eternity. A terrible torture… Energy pumped through him, burning his insides and making him beg for it to stop. As he turned and twisted in pain, he realized they were working with a prosthetic at the operation table. He had seen the Galra, often attired with similar prosthetics, powered by magic energy they couldn’t comprehend. As they attached it to his body, it’s clear why no one could come out after submitting to the experiment. The burn came back and weakened him completely. Finally, it stopped. Shiro opened his eyes again and found himself able to walk out of there like a new person; and even when there was no need for it, Keith kept his promise and stayed by his side.

The new arm worked impressively, it was responsive to Shiro’s nerves and it’s practically indestructible. They also started to notice that with the constant exposition to the so called quintessence energy powering the arm, he gained strength and resistance, close to invulnerability. 

It could be his natural hunger to help, maybe even gratitude, but this all pushed Shiro to try harder, to do more and more and with his abilities and strength. The news of his record and how he always came out undefeated in every battle he’s been sent to made his work important and remarkable to the eyes of others.

During a hard battle against one of the last remains of Galra forces occupying the Earth, Shiro gained the title of  _ Captain Atlas _ after he came out of the falling ship carrying the defeated Galra warlord over his shoulders. A vile creature, previously seen as a power impossible to overcome, defenseless in this relentless human’s hands… 

That was what everyone needed to see. Not only the Galra saw the true strength of this called Captain, but so did other worlds struggling to fight the invasion of the extending empire. 

Captain Atlas quickly became the equivalent of peace, even when the battles he was involved in were fierce and deadly. The name stood out and kept on inspiring others even when the war finally reached its end. 

When the Emperor is finally defeated and all his followers captured, peace seems attainable at last. The world stops holding back the air, fear starts to fade and the recovery after dark days of enemy occupation comes like a needed new beginning. 

Captain Atlas receives grateful gestures wherever he goes. As the Earth delegation takes trips around the planets and systems they worked along with, he’s taken with them and gets well known for his work and effort. When there’s no need for further fighting, the Captain is more like a symbol than an active asset of war, unlike what he was first conceived as. 

Captain Atlas can take it. Shiro, the man holding the title, has a harder time with that.

He has spent so many years focused on this war it’s hard to find what to do once it’s over. It’s hard to believe it’s over in the first place. Through this war he has seen so much, lost so much it’s hard to find a place in the aftermath. His family is gone, he has seen his friends and comrades fight and perish trying to make it to the promised peace. There’s just so much he can handle now and nothing can keep those thoughts and memories quiet, not now that what kept them at bay is no longer there. 

“Being conscious of how we got this peace will honor those who fought for it. Keep your eyes open and stand up for what’s right” Shiro says with a smile as he’s supposed to whenever he’s questioned about what’s next. And even when he maintains this calm image, he lives a different reality whenever he’s on his own.

Memories haunt him, he can’t stop seeing Keith’s deep eyes, his face showing to him so vividly he finds himself waking up and crying to his loss. Keith’s gone, he fought along with Shiro till the end but there’s no reward for being the last one standing. He made it because he was basically a weapon. Living as a symbol is not that different. No one made him feel human like Keith did, Keith who grew up alone and got into the battlefield with no family to worry about, just like Shiro. He cared, genuinely, and so did Shiro. They found peace in one another, in the brief moments where they could actually smile and have fun, in the shared nights and comforting closure. 

Now he only has mourning.

Sometimes he misses the war. He hates himself whenever he thinks that; it’s so twisted, longing for what took everything from him. 

* * *

It’s been around a year on this new formed peace, Shiro’s still fulfilling his role as a peace standard bearer, trying to keep his head on it instead of his thoughts piling over the fight long gone. He’s in the middle of a reunion with some of the Coalition representatives when an explosion nearby gets everyone alert.

There’s shouting and confusion, this came out of nowhere, no way fitting in this peaceful era they keep on promoting. Shiro’s the first one to react, a reflex hard to forget. He rushes to the scene and gets in to try and find anyone in need of help. It’s devastating to face the emptiness of the mission. No one survived.

“It’s an unfortunate event, but there’s not a lot we can say on this matter” the media says. 

They all have to accept that peace tends to be short; they’ve had an entire year without anything trying to stand in the way and should be grateful. But still, it somehow feels like taking two steps back. Fighting again, being captured by fear again. 

Two months later, there’s another attack. This time it’s directed to the European representative of the Earth council. The car he traveled in crashed out of nowhere, as though it had been controlled by someone different. Then one of the space stations near North America explodes as well.

Captain Atlas makes it to the place as soon as someone warns about an unknown unit boarding the area, but by the time he steps in there, the bomb goes off and the explosion hits the building and the people inside. Shiro manages to shelter a small group he found and himself, but there’s nothing else he can do during the energy burst. Once it’s done, he rushes inside and tries to get the one responsible. Whoever did this must be around, or at least he hopes that. 

He’s running through the dust and fumes, taking firm steps and avoiding all the obstacles the explosion threw around, seeking for any sign, then he hears footsteps, as fast as his own pace thought lighter, following the same direction above him. 

Once he reaches a cleaner area, where dust barely covers his sight, he catches a glimpse of who’s running there. 

A lean man jumps from the story up where Shiro’s been running. He rolls and flows through the movement and speed as pure energy. Shiro doesn’t stop either, making his way to him and keeping his eyes on his target. The man’s wearing black, definitely tactic gear, though Shiro can see some flashes of violet light outlining his shape over the suit, he’s masked and carries a weapon on his belt.

“I have eyes on the suspect!” Shiro announces through the coms and keeps running.

He changes his trajectory and gets some high ground advantage he uses to jump and knock him over. Just as it happens, when the man got to the lower ground, he recovers easily from Shiro’s attack, but at least he had managed to stop him. Shiro gets up and ready to fight just as the other does. 

As soon as they’re both on their feet, Shiro charges back to stop him, aiming as he knows best but being blocked every time. This man is fast, strong and without a single glimpse of doubt in his movements. He’s precise, hitting for the kill as Shiro can recognize from his own training. And the blade he uses adds a bigger challenge. 

His mysterious opponent swings a hit with his left arm and sends Shiro away with impressive strength. Even when Shiro’s not entirely invulnerable, he’s lucky enough to stay conscious after that. The power and weight of the man’s arm it’s unsettling. Shiro had only faced strength like this back when he fought the Galra. 

That won’t stop him.

The more he spends fighting this man, the more restlessness grows within him. It’s like he’d fought him before, but he’s sure this is the first time. 

Even when the battle is relentless, it’s clear the masked man’s main objective is to escape, and he keeps trying to gain distance and change the course, to lose Shiro, but he doesn’t give up and follows through, still engaged. Only when he hears the wind blowing, the dust lifting and the familiar sound of an airscrew approaching, he sees the man rush faster and feels urged to not let go. 

The suspect makes his way up, climbing skillfully up the ruins of the place as Shiro follows, trying to pull and making him fall a couple of times. During this struggle, Shiro loses his helmet and every contact with the coms, but he manages to pull the man’s arm and makes him crash on the ground, tearing his gear and losing the mask. 

He sees a strong metal prosthetic attached to the man’s body from his shoulder. It’s shocking, the sharp claws, the flashes of violet glow and the symbols engraved on the shiny metal send Shiro back to the war, to the loss, to each base they attacked. To his own becoming to fight in the war. Out of instinct, Shiro braces himself again, but when he sees the face of this man he’s been trying to get his hands on, he feels the air leave his body. 

There are definitely Galra traits in his face, like the yellow glow in his eyes’ sclera and the fangs that show in his mouth as he catches his breath, the tips of his ears and the purple marks crawling up his face from both sides of his neck. But that gaze, that hair and the features of that face can only be of one person. 

“Keith…?” Shiro whispers both in exhaustion and awe. 

“Who the hell is Keith?” The man replies, and even though it’s sharp with threat, it’s the same voice that has been haunting Shiro’s memories, Keith’s smoky voice. 

_ It’s him. _

All the energy leaves his body, and the only things working on him are his memory and his eyes. He’s filled with Keith, with the idea of how even when he’s watching this, there’s no way it’s possible. Keith’s dead, and the words hurt him, but the idea of him being alive and actively attacking all they’ve been working to achieve hurts even more. Shiro lost him fighting for this peace, and now it’s him tearing it again. 

He can only watch, paralyzed as the man makes it to the top of the clear area where he finally jumps and disappears taken away by the helicopter. 

Shiro stays there, unable to neither move nor follow him, dizzy with the adrenaline of the previous fight and the nonstop turns of his memory. Still as he is, he’s losing his breath, balance will follow as well, he’s sure. He has to sit, to count his breath and find something to ground himself, but he can’t.

He can’t.

* * *

This evolves to be a critical issue. More and more attacks have been confirmed involving this hitman. It’s a threat, the only one they’ve faced since the war was officially over, and yet it resembles those times so much is not easy to ignore. It’s impossible for a single man to deliver this much destruction, but they have seen it. He’s quick, precise, merciless… 

Cold blooded, like a perfect soldier. 

He’s soon named as one by the media.  _ Blade Soldier. _

The discussion of his capture begins. The members of the Earth fraction of the coalition are concerned about this getting out of their control and violence escalating outside. They’re mostly worried about the image it projects after the planet was somehow the symbol of resistance and strength for the rest of the universe. Shiro’s sure that’s way too out proportioned, but Earth politics have always tended to that side. It’s all about control after all. 

He stays quiet as he tries to figure out what this whole encounter has done to him. As he tries to convince himself to ignore what he thinks he saw, there’s no way to calm his heart whenever he brings back the image of that man. He knows he’s seen that before, that it could be anyone else, he tells himself, but can’t stop seeing the similarities to what he has experienced with this soldier. 

It’s like this precious memory of a dear person of his life has been stained by Galra.

The more he sinks into it, Shiro can’t stop finding more and more signs that ring bells in his memory, but it’s terrible not being able to make a whole image of this. At least not a feasible one. 

The stance, the length of the silhouette's strides, the flash of dark hair and vivid dark eyes… The Galra traces are the only ones that don’t seem to fit in. 

There’s danger on the way he starts to connect his loss with this new appearance. A part of him knows it could be just the desire to feel something that connects him with something other than duty; that his soul’s hollow and wanting for Keith to be with him more than he allows himself to admit. That void only grew with the years, swallowing all the other loss he got to bear and now, facing an impossibility, there’s a strong yearning crawling out of that hole inside his heart, screaming and trying to claim this as one of his biggest wishes. A hope so intimate it feels foreign to who he is now. 

If there was a chance… if  _ he _ was really out there…

If it’s through fighting how he can connect with his past, then he has to stay and try harder. 

“If this is the Galra, we cannot let this go any further” One of the representatives said during the latest reunion. 

“You’ve all seen the footage, those are definitely Galra tactics; and we’ve also found Galra technology where these attacks had taken place.” 

The fear around the Galra escalates quickly, all of them wanting to stop this loose end. Of course, being the  _ diplomats _ they are, they push the blame on those fighting during the war, how the job’s not entirely done. The eyes in the room turn to Shiro.

“Captain,” Admiral Sanda addresses him. Her face stays stern as she looks at him. “You’re clearly experienced on the matter, taking down countless of them. We expect we can endorse you with the mission of taking care of one last lost Galra. For the Coalition. For the Earth.” 

“I can’t follow the same route as war forced me to. Since he’s a single man, I’m sure there must be other ways to — ”

“Captain, I’m afraid you don’t follow the urgency of this matter. This single man has meant a big loss on our side.”

“I understand, but there’s no need to bring the war back. Peace can stay with justice, not…”

“With those attacks, war’s already here!” Admiral says firmly. “We expect you to help us finish it once and for all.” 

Shiro knows there’s no room for discussion; that even if he tries to negotiate and get them to assure the man wouldn’t be in further danger and only captured to be taken to justice, the entire coalition has already made up their minds. Through all of the past battles, Shiro helped in the name of the planet, having the liberty of his race on the table, but this time… It’s like getting the blood of this man on his hands just because they want him to. 

There’s enough blood on them to make him sick already.

With the urgency they all experience, they decide to track the so called Soldier once he makes a new appearance, so they can send Captain Atlas to take care of it as soon as they get any sign. And so they do. Shiro can only hope that, once he manages to capture him, they will spare his life and control the situation somehow else, but when he’s handed the heavy set of guns he’s supposed to use, he knows that won’t be the case.

“He’s already killing people as we speak, finish this.” Admiral says as she walks him to the ship. 

Pressure’s more than he can take, and just like this, he can’t stop thinking on how unfair it is to simply follow orders, even when they’re against his own beliefs. 

The ship takes off, heading to where the Soldier was seen last time. 

By the time Shiro spots him, he directs the ship down so he can get closer. There’s fire already, some people running and the Soldier just walks holding a heavy weapon, firing it now and then and making buildings and cars burn. There’s not enough space for him to land, and if he shoots anything could go wrong. Yet, it’s unbearable just to fly above and see people fall and stop moving as the flames extend. 

He’s watching on screen and then clearly sees the man stop and turn right to his ship. This man is fearless, clearly aware of the devastation he just spread in the area. By his controlled and calm stance, Shiro can tell he’s not focused on people around. It’s almost as though he's only doing this to get the attention Shiro clearly delivers. 

“Fuck” Shiro curses as he sees the man lift the weapon and aim to his ship.

A trap. 

Maneuvering to make him miss isn’t easy, not when Shiro doesn’t want to lose sight of him either. The ship gets shot and he struggles to guide the fall as he loses height and control. It’s not graceful, but he manages. 

Once he’s out, he keeps his guard up; looking for his target at the same time he wants to make sure anyone is alive. Of course, that’s not the case.

The area was once a Galra base, slowly occupied by locals once the coalition took control from the invaders. Not a lot of people dared to live so close to a reminder of what the planet went to, and after seeing this force of destruction, it’s hard to believe anyone survived. 

There’s no one else around. Nothing but bodies, and some parts of them here and there. 

_ Focus. _

Shiro carries only one of the guns they gave him and steps out of the ship. He moves through the fumes and being mindful of the corpses around, he walks blindly at first until he hears the rhythm of a constant run and follows it. He’s a fast runner, but the man before him has a wild advantage.

He takes a turn and loses sight of him.

“What’s the situation?” Shiro hears the question through the coms on his helmet, the sound’s slightly distorted with the damage of the fall, and he’s actually pissed it’s still working. 

“My ship’s down. I follow by foot” he replies, trying not to give himself away with his voice.

There’s noise in the line and Shiro has to bear it for a while, he hopes it turns off and this is the last interruption he gets, but through the distortion he hears the lines “kill on sight” repeat again and again. It ties knots inside of him, not even during war he has been commanded to do such a thing and now… 

Now it’s not the time to get distracted. Too bad he can only think this after he spaced out enough for the Soldier to approach and Shiro barely has time to shield himself with his arm. The hit is quite strong; it makes a loud sound when a fist connects to it. The metal one, Shiro assesses as he regains his balance. 

He manages to keep his stance, fighting every attack as his opponent claws whenever he has the chance. But it’s not too much before the blade he saw last time shows up, leaving him slightly disadvantaged. 

Although  _ peace _ has kept Shiro’s need to fight at bay, he still remembers enough to stand his ground in front of this enemy. No, not an enemy.  _ Keith _ . And he keeps calling him as he tries to read him, but is not easy. With every mention of the name and each plea to make him listen, Keith goes more and more feral. He’s fast, and skillfully changes the blade from hand to hand according to the easiest route to connect with Shiro, though Shiro keeps blocking the sharpness of it with his own arm and the gun he carries. This soon ends up sliced by Keith’s blade.

Shiro has to use the terrain on his favor, speed, weight, just as it happened when he fought the Galra. Yet, he repeats himself this isn’t the same. 

They push, kick and fall, running to catch the other with no time to rest or a way out, and they end up following into the abandoned Galra base. 

Before Keith can recover from the last fall, Shiro holds him down, using everything he’s got to make him yield, maybe even pushing more to knock him out. Better to leave him lights out than dead, he thinks, but things are not that simple.

Keith kicks and pushes and releases himself, then he gets back to his feet and attacks him again and again, no matter the hits he takes or the loss of his mask. And it’s harder for Shiro to focus now that it’s obvious who he’s fighting against. He’s worried about hurting him, already seeing bruises and traces of the battle they’ve been dragging show up on his skin. Defending it’s not enough, but he knows he’s not in the best position to attack. He’s distracted, starts to move, wanting to open the space between them, but Keith’s fast and won’t let him do it. He keeps chasing him, growling.

He plays dirty, turning around and wielding his sword to Shiro’s face, he misses his eyes by a hair, scratching over the bridge of his nose instead, but that’s enough to effectively widen his chances of victory. Shiro’s unable to escape the pain, and even when he does his best to bear it, it stings as he turns to Keith again. Ignoring the blood falling down his face, Keith lashes to him again, holding his throat with the metal hand squeezing to cut the air. 

“ _ Keith…! _ ” Shiro pleads again, looking at him in the eye as he struggles to take his hand away. Keith’s like an animal, huffing and baring his fangs as a threat. “I won’t fight you…”

“You can’t anymore! You lose! Captain Atlas has to die!” 

“ ‘re my friend… Stop this… Keith…”

“Shut up!” Keith snarls, but his hand shakes. “That’s not—I…”

“ ‘eith…” Shiro makes an effort and looks at his eyes, trying his best to keep his consciousness afloat even though he’s losing his breath. 

“N-no! Shut up!” 

A rougher pull of his hand leaves marks on Shiro’s neck and Keith retreats, looking at him with those wild eyes, somehow in pain. Shiro coughs and rolls to his side, he hears Keith growl and huff, fighting something, and when he can see him, Keith’s holding his head in his hands. 

“Keith, I’m here with you, it’s going to be ok…” He tries again, approaching slowly to where he is, and Keith allows him. “I won’t leave without you.”

Keith turns to look at him, still agitated and holding his own head. He’s still, more like a wounded animal than the previous image of a hunter he attacked Shiro with. Shiro moves closer slowly, and with each inch he cuts between them, Keith gets more and more fragile. 

“Captain…” Keith cries.

“I’m here…”

Just as he’s about to reach Keith, they hear the clear sound of footsteps coming to where they are, and can feel the rumble of the power of a ship on top of the base too. Shiro should have expected this, the Coalition’s so desperate to get rid of Keith they would actually send a second squad to take care of it. 

“The coalition’s here?!” Keith stands up again, holding his sword in shaky hands.

“We have to go. Now!” Shiro turns and sees fear and surprise mix into confusion on Keith’s face. 

“Not until you’re dead. My mission…” Keith stutters, still showing his teeth trying to look threatening, but Shiro can notice the way control slips from his hands. He’s scared. 

“It was mine too. But I’m not letting that happen.” Shiro goes to him, taking his shoulders in his hands and making him look up. There’s still blood running down his face but it doesn’t matter at the moment. “I won’t let them kill you, I won’t lose you again, Keith.” 

Keith goes silent and slowly starts to lower the blade. They can’t lose more time.

Shiro takes him and starts to run with him. Maybe, they’ll find a spare ship somewhere or at least a route out of the base. He takes corridor after corridor, getting deeper into the base and feeling the rush of this all connect with his memory, making his race less random and heading to where he remembers hangars are usually located in structures like this.

Of course, it’s a plan the coalition has seen before. 

When they’re close to make it there, they see a group of soldiers approach through one of the corridors. 

“There’s Captain Atlas!” He hears the squad announce as they rush to where they are. “He’s got the target, prepare to shoot!”

“Shiro…” He hears Keith behind him, and when he turns to face him, he sees there’s more of his friend than before. He’s not letting this go. 

Shiro charges against the group, pushing and knocking them to keep Keith out of reach; he pushes the guns and takes some shoots straight to his palm and arm. As soon as they can keep running they do. 

“Captain Atlas is escaping with the target! Treason!” He can hear the pained voices echoing as they go. 

Shiro doesn’t let it hurt him, resolved on what he’s doing. He’s been fighting for so long without a reason as deeply connected to him as this. He won’t give up. They keep going, and Shiro clears their way from any soldier trying to stop them. The same words repeat again and again:  _ treason, treason, kill on sight… _

“Shiro!” Keith calls him, worried but keeping his pace behind him as they finally find a ship and Shiro rushes to lock it and open the hangar’s door. “They’re accusing you! You can’t… I’ve… I’m guilty, it’s only me the one they should kill, let me—“

“Taking your life won’t solve anything, they have to understand that.”

“You fought for this peace all your life! I did too!”

“Not for  _ this _ peace. You’re my peace!” Shiro breaks, finally speaking up his heart. There’s no going back to what he used to be, not if there’s no place for Keith in that life. 

That’s just a life he doesn’t want. 

Keith looks at him taken aback, and worry crosses his face just as it did when Shiro announced he’d enroll in the experiment. They stand like that just a few more seconds before they’re brought back to the situation they’re in. Keith pushes past Shiro and makes his way to the pilot seat. The ship immediately responds to his handprint on the biometric scan and the cabin lights up with energy as the engine starts. They get elevation and soon, Keith’s accelerating the ship out through the hangar. 

They know treason will be announced all over the world, but Shiro doesn’t care anymore about them, not now that his world is complete again.  _ I’ll be with you; I’ll keep you safe _ goes implicit in the way Keith maneuvers and loses the Coalition ships, heading to a place just for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped you enjoyed and thank you for reading.
> 
> Find me in [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/Laufeholmes) ♥
> 
> Thank you [ Socks ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirteenSocks/) for being an awesome beta reader.


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